The Official Religion
With Rabindranath Tagore’s visit to the island in 1927, Balinese theologians restored contacts with India and began to align their brand of Hinduism more with Hinduism proper. Monotheism has been particularly emphasized since independence, and following the 1966-67 anti-Communist bloodbath Bali-Hinduism was recognized by the government as one of Indonesia’s state religions. A modern Hindu organization, the Parisada Hindu Dharma Indonesia (PHDI), or Hindu Council of Religious Affairs, is Bali’s highest religious body, officially sanctioned by the government to decide all spiritual matters. Similar to its Islamic counterpart Majelis Ulama Indonesia, the PHDI is more or less a rubber stamp for government policy, reflected by the large number of military figures and civil servants holding leadership posits in the organization.

Through the PHDI, however, Bali-Hinduism has achieved legal, international status. Since Bali is virtually surrounded by Muslims, some of whom are determined to turn Indonesia into an Iran-style theocratic state, the Balinese regard the government’s official sanction of their religion as a means of preserving their identity and way of life. The Balinese have further legitimized their religion by aligning it with the discoveries of modern science and by formulating their own independent canon, panca cradha.

Other Religions
Foreign religions have not had an easy time of it on Bali. Bali-Hindus has strongly resisted new faiths. Muslim communities established a toehold during the Majapahit era; Gelgel Mosque, just south of Klungkung, is the most ancient on Bali, built by Muslim immigrants who served the Dewa Agung during Bali’s Golden Age. Other prominent Muslim communities include Kusamba and Sarenjawa in Karangasem, Lovina in Buleleng.

Approximately 1,000 Buddhists live in the north, in the mountains to the east, and among the Chinese populations of the urban centers. Their most important temple is the Brahma Vihara Asrama in Banjar, Buleleng. Western visitors have popularized the practice of metaphysics, mostly New Agers from California. Since the 1930s Ubud has been a center for paranormal practices.

There are about 7,000 Christians on the island; the Dutch finally allowed Christian missionaries on Bali in the 1930s at the behest of the Chinese. Early Christian communities emulated Dutch Reform-style architecture and customs, but under the leadership of I.W. Mastra, the Church of Bali is now incorporating the island’s rich traditions of dance, drama, and music. The new Christian churches of Bali look more like Balinese temples than Dutch churches, except that they’re guarded by angels, not demons. Biblical stories are dramatized through Balinese-style dance and music, and ‘gamelan’ orchestras celebrate church festivals. “The Mango Tree Church” relates the dramatic story of the development of the Protestant church on Bali.